April 21st - Reflection

Maundy Thursday
John 13:1-17, 31b-35 (NRSV)
The service of Christ: footwashing and meal
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. ...

"Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Reflection
Jesus humbled himself before the disciples. At this time in history, humility was despised as a symbol of weakness. Yet Jesus humbled himself. I wouldn't think that Peter would want to believe that Jesus was weak. Peter looked up to Jesus. Peter left it all for Jesus. Jesus was not weak, yet he humbled himself.

And Peter and the disciples participated in Jesus' humility at the foot washing. Jesus took a sign of weakness, a servant job, and made an example and a command out of humility. We are to humble ourselves, one to another, and serve each other in that deep love that Jesus exemplifies. We are slaves who have no rights in the master's house.

So, now the challenge. We know we are slaves and servants. We know we are disciples of Jesus. We know that God loves us and saves us. If we know all of this and if we truly believe all of this, then we gladly serve God in humility and thanks and praise. And we joyfully do as Jesus has done in the washing of the feet. We will joyfully wash one another's feet.

And Jesus has done it again. Again he has taken what was once an action that would be despised as a symbol of weakness and turned it into an honor for his disciples throughout the ages to do. We joyfully wash one another's feet. We joyfully serve other's knowing that in serving other's we are privileged to follow Jesus' command.

What a great command to follow! And...how easy Jesus has made this command. It's not like a chore...it's an honor...because Jesus has shown us love and has shown us how to love.

Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, thanks for the foot washing. I can't wait to put in action what you have taught me. --- Amen